Frequency and pattern of Skin Disorders in Adolescents in a School of Kathmandu

Abstract

Introduction: Skin disorders are one of the major causes of morbidity in Nepal. The objectives of this study are to determine the relative frequency and pattern of skin disorders in a cohort of adolescents 9-18 years of age.

Methods: The study was conducted in a residential school of Kathmandu. A detailed information about the study was given to the student members of a school club and they in turn, informed all the other students of the dermatologic health camp, which was conducted subsequently. All students appearing at the camp were examined by a dermatologist and information regarding age, gender, school grade and diagnosis were recorded in a pre-validated format.

Results: In the school there were a total of 950 students (627 m, 323 f). Of them 242 (116 m, 126 f) had skin disorder with a point prevalence of 25.5%. Female students had significantly higher prevalence (29%) than male (18.5%). The most common skin disorders were acne, eczemas and urticaria, and the 10 most frequent diagnoses comprised 87% of all skin conditions.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that 1/4 of the students had one or more identifiable skin disorders. Despite the wide range of dermatoses, only a few of them accounted for a major proportion of the skin disorders. This study provides data for targeting health care programs for prevention and treatment of skin disorders in this age group.